Adam Audio
Inside Berghain resident DJ Barker’s Studio in Berlin
In a recent video posted on ADAM Audio Berlin’s channel, Berghain resident DJ and producer Sam Barker offered a look inside his Berlin studio. The space blends generative electronics with acoustic instrumentation, featuring custom one-string mechanical cellos, automated percussion systems and evolving modular patches that shaped much of his latest album, Stochastic Drift.
Sam Barker’s custom string instruments
The standout feature of Barker’s studio is a collection of custom string instruments created by instrument designer Kai Severs. The devices resemble one-string cellos, each fitted with a rotating circular bow that continuously vibrates the string. Pitch is controlled through a mechanical finger system, allowing each instrument to perform across a range of roughly 21 semitones. Moreover, Barker uses a full ensemble of these instruments, combining their acoustic movement with electronic processing and sequencing. “It’s almost like coming full circle,” Barker said, referring to combining electronic production with physical instrumentation.
A mechanical drumkit controlled by modular gear
Alongside the string instruments is a custom mechanical drum system, also built by Kai Severs. For the album’s title track, Barker generated random rhythmic patterns using modular synths before converting them into MIDI signals that controlled the physical drum mechanisms. As a result of the setup, the drumkit is able to blend generative sequencing with real acoustic movement.
A studio built around experimentation
According to Barker, the studio is designed to support spontaneous experimentation. His modular systems, hardware sequencers and recording setup are arranged to capture ideas instantly without interrupting workflow. “I wanted to set up so I can just hit a button and everything is captured,” he explained. Rather than treating modular gear as a fixed instrument, Barker describes the process as a conversation with the machine itself. “It’s more about what the modular is saying back,” he said.
